Another season in the history books. And another difficult season, but carp from the
Farm Pond, a few barbel and some pike from new venues, including a twenty - it is starting to go the right way! Season totals: 101 barbel, 33 carp and
40 pike (including 9 doubles to 22lb 2oz). So here's my seventeenth season review - written monthly as I went along...
June:
I started the season chasing barbel. Opening couple of days on
The Wye saw 5 landed from a rare summer flood - before a drought that last months. And then back to London for three afternoons on the
Small River - 35 barbel in the summer sunshine - mostly on floating crust. No big fish, but a cracking way to start...
July:
No water in
The Wye & too hot to target barbel, I turned my attention to a small
Farm Pond - a bit of an unknown. Initially using bread, then adding boilies to the mix I caught common carp, mirror carp & a beautiful fully-scaled. And while trying to catch a perch I landed a surprise
3lb 7oz PB eel, plus a (targeted) back-up 2lb 10oz eel...
August:
I continued my carp quest, initially on the
Small River - stalking out a mirror, common & ghost carp from the clear water - plus 19 barbel. Then back to the
Farm Pond for a few short evening sessions to get my fishing fix - getting into this carp fishing! And an afternoon on
The Wye with the stick 'n' pin provided some great chub action...
September:
Last trips to the
Farm Pond included a double full-scaled mirror carp - a great way to wrap up the summer carp campaign! Three afternoons on the
Small River added 25 barbel to my season. But I did lose a
Wye double - that Wye double still eludes me. A bit of rain, a wash through the river and few nice chub rounded out the month...
October:
Pike time - the plan was to get a few pike on the scorecard this season (especially after such a poor result last time). Starting with a new section of The Wye, and a couple of gravel pits. With
11 pike landed, including 3 doubles to 16lb 10oz - not a bad start. Lets try and keep this momentum going throughout the winter...
November:
Started with a trip to the
Small River, time was limited & water was cold - but 11 barbel found the net (SR total: 90 barbel). And then the winter floods arrived on
The Wye - don't seem to have much luck in November. Pike fishing was limited - but my last cast of the month found something special - a
22lb 2oz beauty hit the lure...
December:
Rain. Lots of rain, and with it the rivers were in flood - couldn't get near
The Wye for a lot of the month. So I turned my attention to my back-up plan,
The Pits - and
11 pike, including a brace of thirteens was a cracking result. The annual Christmas fly fishing trip was tough going, but a well earned win for Steve...
January:
It was frosty then wet, but I had some new venues to explore. Starting with the mighty
Severn (although it was mostly flooded) and an abandoned little
Match Pond. No big pike,
10 jacks to get me started - lots more to explore over the coming year. And as a change; a sea fishing trip on the
Bristol Channel produced 4 beautiful blond rays...
February:
Rain, rain, rain! Will it ever stop raining? With a decent run at my
50 pike challenge I was hoping to get a few more on the scorecard - but the floods had other ideas! Fortunately a couple of floodwater barbel and a few chub saved a blank month! Fingers crossed for a few more chances before time is called on this season - not long left...
March:
The weather calmed down (a bit) but a 3 day trip to the
Small River was cut short after only a couple of hours when my back gave out - total: 94, frustratingly close to 100! But few gravel pit jack pike rounded out the season - nice to end on a pike. Looking back, a pretty good season - with lots learned - roll on the next one...
